Providing a positive first experience for new starters can be a powerful way to help them stay engaged from their first day.
And Digital Marketer Jon Caña was delighted to find his new employer had provided him with a beautiful welcoming bouquet of flowers to help him settle in at his new role in San Fransico – Buzzfeed reports.
first day feels pic.twitter.com/ZjRydssTlY
— Jon Qui Qui (@JonQuiQui) October 24, 2018
However, there was one small problem – the flowers were not meant for Caña.
I FOUND OUT THESE FLOWERS WERE MISPLACED ON MY DESK AND SUPPOSED TO BE FOR SOMEONE GOING ON MATERNITY LEAVE BECAUSE THEY DONT GIVE FLOWERS TO NEW HIRES BUT THEY SAW ME TAKING PICS WITH THEM AND FELT TOO BAD TO TAKE THEM AWAY IM CAAAACKLING https://t.co/oItQv3MOvS
— Jon Qui Qui (@JonQuiQui) February 9, 2019
“I just assumed they were kind of part of this whole first day experience. I was like, ‘Wow, this day just keeps getting better and better,” he said.
While it’s important for HR to try to help people feel at ease on their first few days, sometimes accidents happen. Here are five of the most embarrassing stories of early-days mishaps from around the web:
Poor Reddit user h82frown let curiosity get the better of them when they found something in their new desk drawers – but unlucky for them, it turned out to be a powerful pepper spray.
Spicing up the workplace
“Apparently my predecessor thought it was necessary to keep a small Spitfire device in the desk drawer,” they wrote. “I had never seen one before and pressed the button to see what it was… MISTAKE!!
[text:29195]
“My cube neighbours and I had to seek refuge in the bathroom, I’m so embarrassed. Definitely made a first impression!”
Smashed it
“I started working as a busser at a casual fine dining restaurant about a year and a half ago,” wrote Reddit user 940114. “It was within my first 3 days (can’t remember exactly), but we were really busy, and I was clearing dishes up from our upstairs dining area.
“In one hand I was carrying a stack of plates, the other was a bread basket with a bunch of napkins and a wine glass that I mistakenly thought was secure in the basket. I get down three of 17 stairs, and then the wine glass decides to fall out.
“It hits every single stair on its way down, and then makes a very loud shattering noise as it hits the hardwood floor. Who knew a wine glass breaking was so loud? Cue the entire dining room silencing themselves and staring at me for what felt like forever as I eventually walked down the stairs in shame.”
Cold Comfort
[card:29546]
Reddit user Kingofturtles had a colleague who managed to get trapped in a dangerous situation – even though she could have freed herself if she’d tried a little harder.
“She got ‘locked’ in the walk-in fridge,” they wrote. “The one that doesn’t have a locking mechanism, and requires a simple push from the inside to open. Nobody noticed she was missing for 10 minutes.
“One of the servers heard a banging coming from inside and opened it to investigate. She tumbled out, thanking him, while he looked confused and then started laughing.”
Get the message
A poor IT system meant windowlicker1234 accidentally caused a catastrophe.
“I sent out 10,000 emails through the automated system my first day,” they wrote. “To make it worse, the emails I sent were telling our policy holders their insurance had expired.” Thankfully, this story does have a happy ending. “Still working here 3 years later though! :)” added the Redditor.
